Morphosis’ Spectacular Emerson College Campus Set to Open in Hollywood

Los Angeles is no stranger to bold architecture, but Emerson College's fancy new satellite campus in Hollywood is upping the ante with its spectacularly futuristic facade. Designed by architecture firm Morphosis, this swanky aluminum-clad structure will serve as a self-contained campus with classrooms, student housing, and office space. The new creative arts and communications campus will kick off its weeklong grand opening celebrations with a ticketed gala that will include high-profile celebrities and city officials.

Situated on Sunset Boulevard, the new satellite campus will play host to Emerson College’s annual semester-long internship program in Los Angeles. Built over two years for $85 million, this 10-story building can house up to 217 undergraduate students from the Boston-based program within two silver vertical towers that frame the curving education core. The glazed facade opens the core up to natural light and street-level views into the classrooms, performance spaces, and mixing rooms to create visual connections with the community.

“The building is designed to expand the interactive, social aspect of education,” said architect Thom Mayne in a press release. “We focused on creating with the broader community in mind—both in terms of public space and sustainable design.” The glass and metal campus is wrapped in a dynamic sun shading system to mitigate solar heat gain and glare. In hopes of achieving LEED Gold certification, the architects also incorporated other sustainable features including energy-efficient water features, a living green wall, and recycled materials.